Anandaban Hospital

Saraswati

My name is Saraswati  I am 55 years old. I live at Kathmandu. I have one daughter and three sons. In addition to that I have to take care of two old mothers, one is my mother and the other is my mother-in-law.

My husband is still alive but he left us 12 years ago. He remarried and lives far away from us. I am the bread winner of this family. I have to feed seven members of the family. These two women are very old (one is 75 and the other is 65 years old) and are not suitable for physical hard work. The children are in school. They are not able to help me.

When I contacted leprosy I was only 25 years old. My second child, Chandrakar was then about a year old. There was swelling on my face and lower limbs. I did not know about leprosy then. I went to the witchdoctor. He performed traditional treatment.  Time passed by but it did not seem to give me any relief. The swelling did not subside.  A year later one of our neighbors suggested me to go to Shanta Bhawan Hospital (now known as Patan Hospital).

My husband helped me to get to the hospital. Doctors present at the clinic examined me. I was told that I had contracted leprosy and I need to take medicine until the doctor stops. I completed the course of medicine. Now I am cured.

I do not have training of any trade. I am illiterate. I do physical work in the field during harvesting seasons and whenever the landowner feels the need for labourers. Whatever I earn is not enough for feeding and keeping all the children in school. If this hospital (i.e. Anandaban) helps me to continue the study of two young children I would feel greatly relieved. The youngest child is in Grade 5 and the other one is in Grade 6.